True Grit Author Charles Portis Dies at 86

On February 17, 2020, the world lost a true literary giant. Charles Portis, who is probably most well-known for writing the classic Western novel True Grit died Tuesday at the age of 86. Portis started his career working for the Arkansas Gazette and eventually the New York Herald Tribune. After leaving his journalism career in 1964, Portis began writing fiction full-time.

Portis published his first novel, Norwood, in 1966 through Simon & Schuster. It was eventually adapted into a film starring Glen Campbell, Kim Darby and football player Joe Namath. In 1968, Portis published his masterpiece, True Grit. Many critics and fans alike, including myself, see this book as a near-perfect novel.

True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross who, as an elderly woman, recounts when she, at the age of 14, sought revenge for the death of her father who was gunned down one evening by the outlaw Tom Chaney. Through a series of events, Ross hires a drunken Deputy Marshall named Ruben J. “Rooster” Cogburn to help track and kill Chaney, who has aligned himself with the “Lucky” Ned Pepper Outlaw Gang. The two are eventually joined by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf who is tracking Chaney for a crime he committed in Texas.

The tale is at times humorous as well as heartfelt. The three companions eventually develop a friendship and appreciation for each other by the story’s end. The book moves quickly and is well-written, with great dialogue setting many of the scenes.